Hamilton hit with reprimand after pitlane entry mishap

Lewis Hamilton has received his second reprimand of the 2018 season after he crossed the white line at the entry to the pitlane in Abu Dhabi. The Briton was attempting to return to his garage following the conclusion of the first free practice session.

However, he overshot his braking point and ran wide, missing the entry zone and crossing the white line. He then proceeded to stop, reverse back and then enter the pitlane.

The stewards reviewed the incident and decided to give the five-time world champion a reprimand for his actions. It marks his second reprimand of the year, but his first driver related one, meaning that he escapes a grid penalty for the incident.

Can Lewis Hamilton win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix? The Briton is currently 5/2 to take the victory!

“The Stewards reviewed video evidence and telemetry, noting that on entering the pit lane after the end of FP1, Car 44 locked up and crossed the white line at the entrance to the pits,” the FIA Stewards statement confirmed.

Hamilton failed to top either of the two Friday practice sessions at the Yas Marina Circuit. The Briton admitted that he wasn't entirely comfortable with the car throughout the opening session, but found rhythm in the second session as the night descended.

"Overall, it's been a good day; even though the first session was not great,” Hamilton said. “The track was very green in the beginning, so there was a lot of sliding around and - just like everyone else - we were struggling with the tyres.

“There's a big difference in track temperature between the two sessions; the conditions in FP2 are much more representative of qualifying and the race, so in that respect FP1 and FP3 don't really tell you a whole lot.

“We made some really good changes over the break and I was much happier with the car in FP2, but there's still a lot of work to do. Red Bull looked quick today, they're usually fast in practice and in the race, so I have no doubts it will be the same this weekend.”